Baelzebus
Baelzebus is an entity created by Mata Nui and former guardian of the Matoran in the Great Culling Alternate Universe. History Early Life In an alternate universe, similar to the core one, the Great Beings discovered that the spread of Energized Protodermis was causing massive damage to the infrastructure of Spherus Magna. In order to prevent further damage, they undertook the creation of an enormous robot, and created the Matoran to construct what would later become the Matoran Universe within it. Shortly after the launch of the Matoran Universe, due to Velika's tampering, the Matoran gained true sentience. Concerned that this would be a problem, Mata Nui created an entity to watch over the Matoran and determine if their newfound sentience would be a threat. This entity became known as Baelzebus. Baelzebus observed the Matoran, and determined that they needed a guiding light to keep them in check. Thus, Baelzebus invented what became known as the Soul, an indestructible essence that would exist inside the Matoran and persist long after their bodies expired. Souls would be made of one part darkness, one part light, and one part Will or "spirit", and would act as a measure of a Matoran's actions, becoming more good or more evil based on their decisions. This would establish a sense of good and evil in the Matoran population, with a strong universal emphasis on doing objectively good things and being good people. Bad souls would be easier to distinguish, as those with bad souls would become bad people, and thus more obvious as threats. Baelzebus then decreed that the Toa, which could be created from Matoran, and the Turaga would also have Souls, as would any other entities created by Mata Nui. The Makuta were the exception, as their Antidermis origins made them incompatible with the soul's construction, as well as Rahi. Baelzebus traveled the Matoran Universe to install Souls in the inhabitants. Eventually he came across a Matoran named Velika, and discovered he had an odd internal construction that made him incompatible with a soul. He had a conversation with Velika in private, where he revealed his true nature to Baelzebus; Baelzebus, intrigued, swore to tell no one, in the interest of seeing how this would play out. After a short amount of time, Baelzebus noticed that the souls he gave the Matoran had formed an almost parasitic relationship with their host bodies, and that though the soul would survive removal, forcibly removing them would actually endanger the life of the host, eventually killing them. He also noted that the light and dark thirds of the soul, over time, could grow to consume the other, becoming totally independent. Baelzebus wondered if the two halves could function independently if they each had their own Will, and began experiments on splitting the soul into two fully functional halves, though he performed them only on souls that did not yet have a host body. After the disbanding of the Hand of Artakha and the formation of the Order of Mata Nui, Toa Helryx approached Baelzebus with the prospect of becoming an ally of the Order. Baelzebus refused, choosing instead to work alone. On Metru Nui, disputes between between the Po-Matoran and Ta-Matoran escalated into full-scale war after the Po-Matoran sank multiple transport barges and the Ta-Matoran melted a Po-Metru warehouse using Molten Protodermis. During the height of this conflict, Baelzebus grew concerned over the state of the universe; he began to suspect that even though the Matoran had souls, they had a propensity to lean towards bad actions. Eventually, Makuta Miserix ordered Makuta Teridax to step in and end the conflict. Teridax led a large number of Matoran fighters into the Archives, locking them in and then releasing various exhibits on them, killing most of them in what would later be known as the Archives Massacre. Makuta Aerther was then assigned to help diplomatic relations in the wake of the slaughter, establishing new trade routes and easing tensions between the Matoran. Baelzebus met with Aerther, and, impressed with him, gave him instructions on how to construct a special weapon. However, in the wake of the Civil War, Mata Nui began to fall ill, causing the Great Disruption, causing effects all over the Matoran Universe. Baelzebus observed how the infighting of the Matoran had affected the greater whole of the Universe, and determined that even with souls, the Matoran's sentience would only lead to future conflicts, further endangering the life of Mata Nui. He began to believe that the only solution was to take away the Matoran's free will altogether, with himself as their leader, positing that the souls he gave them made them his possessions. Rebellion and Legacy 60,000 years ago, as the Order of Mata Nui removed several Av-Matoran and placed them around the universe, Baelzebus staged a rebellion, claiming that the Matoran were now his possessions, and that he would put them on the correct path. The Order of Mata Nui responded, apprehending Baelzebus, and he was sent to the Pit by Botar. Mata Nui would later erase the memories of everyone in the Matoran Universe save a few Order members, causing a gap in recorded history, and leaving only trace memories of Baelzebus's existence in their minds. Baelzebus would eventually become a myth among the Matoran as a result. The Pit Baelzebus was placed in a special hold with an energy field that dampened his powers, preventing him from teleporting out of it. On top of this, the entire cell was sealed off behind powerful doors that resisted flames so that he could not melt them into slag. His Great Scepter of Souls was taken away from him and sealed in a cell of its own, along with other weapons confiscated from prisoners. A thousand and one years before the awakening of the Great Spirit, Makuta Teridax wrought the Great Cataclysm, putting Mata Nui into a deep slumber. Mata Nui fell to Aqua Magna, colliding with the ocean and sustaining multiple injuries to himself in the process. The dome above the Pit shattered during this, flooding it with seawater, allowing many of the prisoners to escape into the ocean of Aqua Magna; however, the natural energy radiating from the Great Spirit robot turned the waters mutagenic, and the prisoners were mutated into sea creatures. Baelzebus's hold was so secure that it did not flood entirely, though water did begin leaking in. Outside, he could hear the mutterings of a Deep One called Zahagin, who was exploring the wreckage of the Pit for treasures. He forced his will into him and persuaded him to believe that Baelzebus was a God. Zahagin set about finding a way to free him so that he could be rewarded. Personality and Traits Before his rebellion, Baelzebus was known to be charismatic and a master of rhetoric. Of the many species that made up the Order of Mata Nui, Baelzebus was able to befriend and negotiate with all, leaving a positive impression on most and firmly believed by those who knew him as a worldly individual who was deeply insightful. These traits belied the fact that Baelzebus was also arrogant and egocentric, believing himself to be superior to most denizens of the Matoran Universe. Baelzebus had the form of a massive humanoid with a Nui-Rama's head, with a relatively bulky build with a wide stance that terminated in a fat abdomen ending in a relatively useless stinger. He was composed mainly of mechanical parts and organic tissues, all encased in a thick exoskeleton. He had sharp claws on his hands and feet, and large insectoid wings on his back, though he was too big to fly with them. Tools and Abilities Baelzebus wielded the Great Scepter of Souls, which he used to bind the elements of a Soul together. It is believed that this weapon also had the ability to separate these elements, and that it gave the wielder the power to perceive the nature of a Soul within an entity. Other than this, Baelzebus had the power to turn invisible, teleport short distances and produce and manipulate flame. He also had the power to manipulate objects with his mind, and could create telekinetic fields that could repel objects or substances around him. He is rumored to have at some point demonstrated the power to dominate and control the bodies of the dead, infusing them with his will, and was also been able to do this to the living, to a lesser extent. Trivia * Baelzebus is a walking list of references. ** Baelzebus's name is derived from several figures. First off, it is similar to the name "Baal Zebul (Lord of the High Place)" or "Baal Zebub (Lord of the Flies)", which is another name for Beelzebub. Beelzebub was originally the Canaanite deity Baal, and was later explained to be one of the seven princes of Hell in several Christian works. In Catholicism, he is one of the three first angels to fall from God, the others being Lucifer and Leviathan. Secondly, the name "Bael" is the name for another demon listed in the Ars Goetia; in it, he is described as the first principal spirit who rules the Kingdom of the East, and direct subordinate of Lucifuge. ** Baelzebus's appearance is derived from the artwork of Beelzebub in Shin Megami Tensei II by Kazuma Kaneko, which was based off his appearance in the Dictionaire Infernal, that of a monstrous fly with a skull and crossbones pattern on each of his wings. ** His backstory somewhat mirrors Lucifer, an angel who was told to bow before man but refused on the grounds that he and the angels were greater than them. In a way, Baelzebus views himself as greater than the Matoran, and suffered a similar fall from grace. * Baelzebus was the first article created by DatOni.